Dassault DA-900 accident near Hyannis, Massachusetts, March 17, 2000
On March 17, 2000 at about 11:02 pm local time, a Dassault DA-900, registered N814M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hyannis, Massachusetts (Barnstable Municipal airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew's inadequate coordination and improper weather evaluation. Also causal was the captain's improper decision to continue the approach to a runway with insufficient length and his failure to obtain the proper touch down point on the runway. Factors in the accident were the tailwind conditions and the ice and snow-covered runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2000 · about 11:02 pm local time
- Place
- Hyannis, Massachusetts · Barnstable Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Dassault DA-900
- Registration
- N814M · registry record · serial 155
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departure, the flight crew confirmed that the 'windy, rainy and stormy' weather would move out of New York and proceed northeast up into the Hyannis area. Arriving in the Hyannis Airport area, at night, the crew received the ATIS, which stated that winds were from 040 degrees at 20 knots, gusts to 33 knots. The ILS Runway 15 approach was in use. Braking action was reported poor by a Cessna 402, and all surfaces were covered with a patchy thin layer of snow and ice. The PIC determined that the tailwind component for the ILS Runway 15 approach would have exceeded the airplane's limitations, and requested the ILS Runway 24 approach. The airplane touched down about 2,640 feet beyond the approach end of the 5,425-foot long runway. The airplane impacted the localizer antenna, departed the end of the runway, went through a chain link fence, crossed a two-lane road, struck three vehicles on the road, continued into a parking lot, and impacted concrete barriers and two parked vehicles. Examination of the airplane revealed a takeoff and landing card (TOLD) on the instrument panel. Written on the card was the landing distance calculated as 3,050 feet and a notation of 'BA POOR'. At the time of the accident the runway was covered with a 1/2-inch accumulation of ice and snow. According to the Dassault DA-900 Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) Limitations Section, the maximum allowable tailwind component at landing was 10 knots. According to the DA-900 Performance Manual, the maximum safe crosswind on icy runways was 5 knots. The manual also stated, 'For icy runway conditions, landing distance is 3 times the landing distance on dry runway.' Using the factor of 3 and a 10 knot tailwind, a landing distance was computed to be about 10,800 feet. No factors were published for a 20 knot tailwind.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,200 hours in all; 380 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 10,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,293 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 16, 1999; 190 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 46,500 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Honeywell TFE731-5BR-1C (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGA Flushing NY at 10:20 pm
- Destination: HYA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 5,425 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 21 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from HYA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.